Kaidan McNamee

Reviews and other content aren't verified by Google

Not exactly an enjoyable viewing experience by any stretch, and not for anyone who doesn’t vibe with arthouse horror. Pros - Reasonably well acted, genuinely unique and unsettling soundscape that is far and above the strongest source of sinister ambiance. Creepy meditations on food and consumption are initially interesting but culminate predictably. Cons - Leans so heavily on tropes like “the sinister rural” and “murderous religious fanatics” that it fails to really say anything that hasn’t already been said by this genre of film dozens of times over. Hurr durr religious farmers are scary, don’t go into the country!! Good filmmaking techne that’s wasted on a predictable and unimaginative story.

A strange, creepy, haunting, curiously homoerotic meditation on Greco-Roman myths, and a chilling film from start to finish. Some of the sequences and shots are just...borderline unforgettable. Willem Dafoe and Rob Pattinson give absolutely stunning performances - Dafoe's monologues in particular raised the hair on my arms. Eggers clearly had a vision for this film, and it's masterfully executed. Lore-rich, mythic, Lovecraftian horror at its finest.

It's an exceptionally well-executed film from virtually every filmmaking standpoint: cinematography was gorgeous (some of those shots had my heart jumping into my throat), excellent acting, measured narrative pacing (although that's not everybody's bag in a film, which I get). It's the "heart" of this film that's missing - it has nothing to say in the end except that humans were the monsters all along! It punishes its protagonists when they do the right thing, leaving the audience to wonder what sort of nihilistic message the creators are trying to get across. It's dark, edgy, violent - and pointless. It's a gritty look at human suffering in the face of massive, incalculable loss, and that's.... it, really. So if you enjoy feeling miserable, I guess this film is for you? An extremely well-made film with nothing to say.